Meg Takes Over: HP Mission Memo

Meg Whitman just took over as HP’s CEO and President hours ago and she, along with the new executive chairman of the board, Ray Lane, didn’t waste any time reaching out to their more than 300,000 employees. In the email embedded further down in the post, they reaffirm the statement released earlier today that Meg Whitman has “enormous respect for HP” and indicates that HP matters not only to Silicon Valley, but to California and the United States. The company has a “deep-rooted legacy” and is something they want to maintain and build upon.

They state the obvious in that HP needs to refocus on their mission (although she doesn’t define said mission) and the company is filled with the “industry’s brightest and most talented people.” No mention of bringing back the $99 TouchPad, though.

Meg and Ray have a large task. Leo didn’t exactly handle HP with care. In his attempt to morph HP into a different sort of company, HP’s stock price plummeted and its market cap crashed. Meg Whitman makes HP’s seventh CEO in the last 12 years. Wish her luck. She’s going to need it.